Applicant claims priority under 35 U.S.C. xc2xa7119 of German Application No. 199 12 059.5 filed Mar. 18, 1999. Applicant also claims priority under 35 U.S.C. xc2xa7120 of PCT/EP00/02434 filed Mar. 20, 2000. The international application under PCT article 21(2) was not published in English.
The invention relates to a method and a device for reducing the volume of empty packaging materials, in particular of bottles and cans, whereby the device is preferably positioned above a waste collection container.
It is known in practical life that certain kinds of refuse are compressed. Predominantly old paper and cardboard is compressed in this connection, and also bundled to some extent. In connection with refuse in the form of empty packaging materials such as, for example bottles, cans and the like, it is known that such refuse is not bundled but collected uncompressed in waste containers. It is a drawback in connection with the handling of such refuse consisting of empty packaging materials that only a certain amount of empty packaging waste can be collected due to the volume preset by the container, which means that the available collection and transport capacity is not completely used.
Furthermore, a press of the type of a press box is known from DE 93 00 49 U1, which can be selectively mounted on the refuse can depending on the type of empty packaging material that has to be compressed at the given time, or which can be displaceably supported on a support directly above the refuse cans. Said a press comprises a compression chamber with a filling opening as well as a device for crushing the filled empty packaging waste. Said device is mounted within the compression chamber. The bottom of the compression chamber is designed in the form of a grating comprising bars spaced from each other. If even the smallest type of bottles need to be crushed, a special embodiment of the press is equipped with a closed bottom which can be displaced. Such an embodiment of the bottom, however, requires additional m expenditure in terms of its construction and control technique. Although such a press offers advantages versus the solutions mentioned above, particularly the size of the press, and especially of its compression chamber is a drawback, and also the fact that the size/dimensions of the refuse cans have to be adapted to each other, which limits a variable application. Furthermore, with the embodiment comprising a grated bottom, it is possible only to primarily dispose of breakable empty packaging waste. Empty packaging waste consisting of elastic material expending again after it has been compressed, fails to drop through the bottom grating without problems, and operational breakdowns are unavoidable. If the spacing between the bars of the grated bottom is selected very large, it is possible to reach into the compression chamber from the bottom, which, however, is no longer permissible according to the currently applicable safety regulations, and additional protective devices would be required. Since the empty packaging waste is collected in an uncleaned condition, a sticky substance adheres to the compression chamber and in particular to the bars of the grated bottom in most cases, causing pieces of the crushed empty packaging waste to adhere to the bars, and the openings provided in the bottom are clogged within a short time.
The problem is solved according to the invention by a method according to claim 1 or 2, and with a compression device according to claim 5. Further developments and advantageous variations of the invention are specified in the dependent claims.
The problem is solved according to the invention by a method according to claim 1 or 2, and with a compression device according to claim 5. Further developments and advantageous variations of the invention are specified in the dependent claims.
The volume of empty packaging material is reduced in connection with the object of the present invention by crushing or compressing the material by means of compression devices, whereby the volume of the empty packaging material is reduced by means of a compression device mounted on or above a container.
In particular, provision is made that after the compression process, the empty packaging material with the reduced volume, i.e. the crushed or compressed empty packaging material is released by the compression device and permitted to drop directly into the associated waste container, a so-called empty packaging waste container. The compression device is preferably mounted on the empty packaging waste container or mounted above said container suspended on a portal or crossbeam. Owing to the novel features of the invention in terms of the method and device, no bundling of the compressed empty packaging waste is required; the standardized empty packing waste container can hold more empty packaging waste, and it is in particular possible to use empty packaging waste containers in different shapes.
Furthermore, provision is made that a collection container with a flexible wall, for example a transport bag is attached to the bottom of the compression device, which bag is received and/or held by said empty packaging waste container while it is being filled, and after it has been filled, the waste is transported preferably in said bag to a waste collection point, a large container or a truck.
The waste consisting of empty packaging material has to be divided in this connection in several categories. A first category is the empty packing material consisting of glass. When such waste is processed, compressing the waste causes the destruction, for example of a bottle, screw-top jar or similar container. The debris/fragments of glass now use up substantially less space in the empty packaging waste container.
A second category of such waste comprises tin cans, which cannot be destroyed in the same way as glass. No fragments are formed during the compression of the generally very thinly walled tin cans due to the deformability of metal. Reducing the volume of such waste therefore can be achieved only by compacting/compressing such waste.
A third category is the waste consisting of plastic. Two criteria are disadvantageous in this connection for compressing such waste by means of compression devices. One the one hand, plastic material is elastic to a high degree, so that the plastic rebounds after it has been compressed. On the other hand, as a rule, plastic bottles are equipped with a closure sealing the bottle airtight. If such a closure is still attached to the empty bottle, an additional resistance is generated to the force of compression by the air trapped in the bottle, which makes it more difficult to compress the bottle.
It is important in connection with the invention that a method for compressing and a compression device that preferably can be mounted on an empty packaging waste container or arranged suspended above the latter, are provided, which are simple in their structure, easy to control, as well as maintenance friendly and thus favorable in terms of costs.
The novel method and the compression device are primarily characterized in that the empty packaging material is placed in a compression shaft that is slanted toward the rear. At its front end, the compression shaft is provided with a compression shaft door, which at the same time assumes a safety function against intervention in the course of the compression process, as well as a switching function for starting the compression process. Provision is specially made that a lateral wall of the compression shaft is partly formed by a movable compression plate. A lower wall of the compression shaft, which itself or at least a part section of it is movable as well, is coupled with the compression plate, and releases an opening leading into the associated empty waste collection container depending on the position of the compression plate, whereby especially the opening width of the opening is variable.
Furthermore, special provision is made that in connection with said method for reducing the volume of empty packaging waste, particularly empty packaging material consisting of plastic material or metal sheet, a part area of the body of the empty packaging material is stressed in the course of the compression process beyond its elasticity limit, in particular expanded, so that no rebound or only minor rebound of the compressed material will occur after the pressure has been relieved.
The compression process is preferably triggered as follows:
The two positions of a compression shaft door, which is first opened and subsequently closed again, are signaled by sensors (approximation switch, scanner or the like components) to a controlling device, which, in an advantageous embodiment of the compression device, locks the door of the compression shaft by means of a locking bolt and subsequently initiates the compression process.
In the course of the compression process, the compression plate is driven, for example by an electro-hydraulic drive unit comprising an electric motor as well as an oil pump and at least one hydraulic cylinder, from a first position (see the figures in this regard) against the opposite wall of the compression shaft into a second, i.e. its second position. The controlling device belonging to the compression device, reverses the movement of stroke when a maximum oil pressure is reached. The maximum oil pressure can be preset. As the press plate is driving back, the lower wall of the compression shaft, which is coupled to said wall, releases an opening leading to the empty waste collection container, and the compressed empty packaging waste drops into said container.
An ejector, which is arranged fixed in a defined position in relation to the movable compression plate and preferably connected with the housing of the compression device, strips the empty packaging waste not dropping from the lower wall of the compression shaft or the compression plate as the reversed stroke is taking place, and quasi pushes such waste into the released opening for dropping down. The rearward stroke of the compression plate takes place at least sufficiently far beyond the first position until the opening width corresponds with the original spacing between the movable compression plate and the opposite wall of the compression shaft, which is arranged stationary. What is achieved by this further step of the method is that material thrown into the compression shaft by mistake, and materials that cannot be destroyed or compressed, or only inadequately so, drop out of the compression shaft. The compression device is then ready again to operate; costly operational breakdowns are avoided. From the third position mentioned above, the compression plate drives back into the first position. For terminating this compression process, the locking of the compression shaft door is cancelled by the controlling device.